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The original plan at this point was to have an on-site report from the Sundance Film Festival and the movie premieres of »Touchy Feely« and »The East«. I assume that Marcela is still busy with putting everything together while working around her own Sundance schedule and enjoying the time spent there. However, you can expect to get an article as well as some exclusive photos and even video footage from the premiere screenings in the course of the coming weeks. This also means it was once again up to me to write something that does justice to two movies I haven't seen yet, and sum up a weekend full of events that I haven't experienced myself. I hope that I have succeeded in doing so.

But first things first: After arriving in Park City and having a dinner with her »Touchy Feely« co-stars and director Lynn Shelton at the Samsung Galaxy Lounge on Friday, Ellen had her first busy day including several press appointments and photo shoots. In the afternoon, she headed for the Eccles Center Theatre where the movie's premiere took place. She then joined Allison Janney, Rosemarie DeWitt, Josh Pais, Ron Livingston and Tomo Nakayama at the subsequent press junkets; concluding her promotional work for Shelton's recent project. on Sunday, Ellen went through almost the same process - this time for her other upcoming film »The East«. The day started with additional photo sessions at Getty Images' and Wireimage's portrait studios at Village at the Lift, and ended with the world premiere of the eco-thriller at the aforementioned theatre followed by a dinner party at the Grey Goose Blue Door Lounge on Main Street. Together with Alexander Skarsgård, Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling, Ellen also stopped by at the Variety Studio as well as the Sundance Channel HQ studio and gave interviews to HitFix, Vanity Fair and The Hollywood Reporter before returning to her adopted home of Los Angeles on Monday. One can say that it was a rather quick yet abundant weekend.

With »Touchy Feely«, Seattle filmmaker and Sundance alum Lynn Shelton returned to the festival with her fifth feature and second competition film. Trading her improv-based filmmaking style for a more traditional screenplay-grounded model, she delivers an uneven mix of half-formed conflicts, resulting in a comedy-drama that ultimately sticks to her core themes: the bonds of family and the desire for connection. Set in the director's own hometown, the film focuses on two siblings: Abby (Rosemarie DeWitt), a massage therapist, and Paul (Josh Pais), a straitlaced dentist who isn’t even aware that his daughter Jenny (Ellen Page) has long grown tired of working as his dental assistant. Inexplicably, this sister and brother suddenly both go through profound physiological changes. Abby finds herself repulsed by human bodies, while Paul begins to develop a healing touch to cure any patient’s long-term physical pains out of the blue. This magical zero-sum scenario resonates with the film's interest in the energy-balancing beliefs of Reiki, the Japanese relaxation technique. Abby's close friend Bronwyn (Allison Janney) is a practitioner, reading people's energy and making herbal potions. She ends up being the mentor to both siblings guiding them through their healing professions.

One reviewer stated that »Touchy Feely« is like a massage: Too much pushing, and things get uncomfortable. Listlessly paced, it is a muted and a low-energy film. While there's a lot of admirable breathing space for moments of introverted thought and self-reflection, often arriving in close-ups of the face, these scenes never quite resonate as much as they should. Shelton touches upon many would-be fascinating ideas of the comfort (or discomfort) of living within ones own skin, universal connectedness, spirituality, intimacy and more. But the final result fails to coalesce the themes in a meaningful way. One point of criticism is also that the film never gets to a point of truly evoking sympathy for its characters. Not having likeable characters does not doom a film, but having unsympathetic protagonists whose lives have essentially stopped moving forward doesn’t leave much hope for good audience reactions either. A reason for this misery could be the script, which was written in only two months in preparation for a spring 2012 shoot. Shelton's past Sundance entries, »Humpday« and »Your Sister’s Sister«, worked best because she let the actors improvise their characters' dialogue and behavior -- as together they found their own way through. This time, she forces this top-notch cast through situations that sound better on paper than as realized on screen. Lead actress Rosemarie DeWitt, who was a last-minute replacement for Rachel Weisz, admitted, "I didn't really understand the character when I read the script," during the Q&A session after the first screening. Speaking about the project, Ellen added she was blown away by »Your Sister's Sister«. But the improvisation was a little nerve-wracking for her because it’s not something she is familiar with. She told herself, "okay, improvise. Be chill, be cool, be cool." Yet, while doing it, it was like "Oh, I can’t improvise as Ellen."

As you might expect, »Touchy Feely« receives very mixed reviews so far which also applies to the actors involved. While one film critic thinks Ellen is heartbreaking in her gentle and unrequited love for a man who doesn’t love her and has one of the strongest scenes in the film, another argues she has fallen into the trap of taking on precocious roles similar to the one she had in her career-making »Juno«, but without the same flair and energy. Overall, »Touchy Feely« is an absorbing exploration of identity, family dynamics and the mysterious psychic push-and-pull balance of the universe. But it can’t seem to find its footing, wandering lost between two story lines that feature difficult-to-care-about protagonists with little to add to the conversation. Unfortunately this film produces a disappointing and uneven experience. In my view the scene in the clip posted below looks very similar to »Smart People« - a movie that is quite entertaining and well-played, but also instantly forgettable and rather pointless at the end. It also fits into the picture that it has not been picked up by a distributor for a release yet. Word has it the producers have received the first offers though.

Shelton's latest is warm but less endearing than its predecessors — John DeFore, Los Angeles Times

The film is more intricately plotted than Shelton's last films [...] You never know what's going to happen in a Shelton film, as she focuses a digital camera on each actor for long repeated takes --anything can happen. — Anne Thompson, Indiewire

There is no question that Shelton aims in this movie to create a crowd-pleasing statement about embracing those around us and appreciating what we have. Her attempts can come off a bit programmatic at times, but her cast’s complete confidence with the material helps sell the occasionally saccharine sermonising. Touchy Feely, certainly, but not oppressively so. — Tim Grierson, Screen Daily

Great ensemble cast makes Lynn Shelton's 'Touchy Feely' a gentle generous new age charmer. If I have a complaint, it is that this feels far less focused than the last two films from Shelton. — Drew McWeeny, HitFix

Touchy Feely drew a mixed reaction at its inaugural screening from the distributors — the New Age premise and the Abby character came in for some criticism. But for all the grousing, Shelton still manages to get intimate human moments right, tipping a scene just enough toward comedy before tipping it back to how real people think and talk. — Steven Zeitchik, LA Times

There's a great movie somewhere inside "Touchy Feely" desperately trying to swim to the surface, but its obscurity also comes with an inarticulateness that robs it of its potential. Shelton's latest is an absorbing exploration of identity, family dynamics and the mysterious psychic push-and-pull balance of the universe, but its chakras aren't completely in order, unfortunately leaving for a disappointing and uneven experience. [B-] — Rodrigo Perez, The Playlist

Touchy Feely left me a little confused and frustrated. With a talented cast and some genuinely funny material, it seemed set up for success. The issue I had with it was that the story is largely about identity crisis, yet the personalities aren’t very well developed – it was difficult to pinpoint and accept their motivations. The characters also aren’t centrally involved with each others’ journeys, leaving their bonds tenuous when they should have been integral and deliberate. — Christie Ko, ScreenCrave

Maudlin, uneven of tone and blighted by a transparent piece of artifice, Touchy Feely marks Lynn Shelton's directorial nadir. In essence, Touchy Feely is a maudlin piece with little by way of comic relief. DeWitt is appealing in her happier moments and does a solid job, as do all the cast; although Pais's Paul by far the best thing about the movie. Shelton's migration towards more clear-cut drama is hampered by uneven tone and, most damning of all, dullness. — Jeremy Kay, The Guardian

There’s a few excellent moments in the movie, and some brilliant, beautiful displays of cinematography, but overall, the film is far too slow and drags horribly from the midpoint on. It’s a huge misstep for director Lynn Shelton, who usually displays such skill and attention to detail in her work, as in the lovely Your Sister’s Sister. And while I’m all for genre and convention-busting, Touchy Feely can’t seem to find its footing, wandering lost between two story lines that feature difficult-to-care-about protagonists with little to add to the conversation. [C+] — Amanda Mae Meyncke, Film.com

The music in the film is like entering a massage parlor, creating an aura of energy that the characters are struggling to maintain. Which in turn sets a soft tone for the audience from the beginning but unfortunately the movie is like lying on the massage table listening to the music and feeling relaxed but never actually getting the massage. — John Giansiracusa, Bangitout.com

This time around we get Touchy Feely, a slightly more ambitious, far less successful, project from Shelton. [...] The ambition gets lost somewhere amongst this large and talented cast, Shelton retreating to some worn plot contrivances in the third act. [...] It’s an aggravating misstep for such a promising filmmaker. There’s an engaging character study somewhere inside Touchy Feely. It’s a shame we never get a chance to see it. — Dan Mecca, The Film Stage

It’s not clear what exactly is missing in Touchy Feely, but the film never gets to a point of truly evoking sympathy for its characters. [B-] — Abe Fried-Tanzer, Shockya

Although other features such as »The Way, Way Back« or »The Spectular Now« aroused more attention at the end, it's still safe to say »The East« is one of the top runners’ of this year's Sundance Film Festival. The eco-thriller from director Zal Batmanglij and writer/actress Brit Marling centers on Sarah Moss, an ambitious former FBI agent who now works for a private firm that does elite damage control for large corporations. Much to her excitement, she is assigned to a high-profile case: infiltrating an underground corporate terrorist organisation called The East which tries to takedown the CEO’s of big companies producing harmful products consumed by the general public. Dyeing her hair and hanging out with banjo players gets her in with the freegan anarchists fairly quickly. At first the collective led with quiet authority by Benji (Alexander Skarsgård) seems like a weirdo cult. This perception soon fades and the inevitable question becomes whether her sympathies will begin to sway to their side despite the serious consequences of their actions, or if she will remain a good corporate spy.

Judging from the reviews published so far, there's not much you can criticize about »The East«. A couple of reviewers didn't like that the movie shares some basic ideas with Batmanglij's low budget sci-fi thriller »Sound of My Voice«, following someone who goes undercover to infiltrate a cult-like organization. Others are missing the explanation of why Sarah is eventually seduced by the group's ideals. And they find it hard to believe that an accomplished professional in a field much like Sarah would allow the romantic attentions of one highly inscrutable man to jeopardize her personal or professional security to the extent that she does. It also seems to be a contradiction that the group tries to live a minimalist life-style far away from civilization, but eventually uses state-of-the-art satellite technology and multiple computer systems in the basement to prepare and plan the next jams. Furthermore, the important and provocative question whether breaking the law and doing harm to the leaders of powerful, rich conglomerates that are poisoning the environment and endangering lives with relative impunity is the ultimate solution remains largely unanswered. At this point, it should be said that Marling and Zal Batmanglij pointed out more than once in several interviews that it was never intended to deliver an answer since they don't have one to such complex moral questions themselves. The thriller has been designed to make the audience think about what is happening around the world.

Besides, »The East« scores with its fantastic ensemble cast. From Alexander Skarsgård and Toby Kebbell to Shiloh Fernandez and Patricia Clarkson, the actors are all great, and the characters they play are different from anything you've seen them in before; Especially Ellen. As cold and calculating as Izzy seems, Ellen is totally kick-ass and turns in her best performance in years, according to Michael Dunaway from Paste Magazine. The direction in particular is astounding. Zal Batmanglij certainly knows what he's doing with all these talented and passionate actors. But he also succeeds in navigating the story with every twist and turn and plot point and yet keep the momentum going. This comes as no surprise considering he and Brit Marling got the best possible preparation for this project. The pair spent a summer as "freegans" traveling in a fashion similar to the movie's group to see if they could live for that long without spending money. They lived in abandoned spaces in sleeping bags, reused discarded goods and ate food found in trash bins. When they returned to their regular lives, they began writing what they conceived of as a eco-thriller set in that world off the grid, with anarchists seeking revenge on corporations that the collective deemed harmful to society. Inspired by an era when "the Internet has put power back in the hands of individuals", it sources a host of movements, from Freegans and the Occupy movement to more radical groups like Anonymous and the Weather Underground, and raises questions that are now more topical than ever before. There is no doubt that »The East« will find a solid limited-release audience since the filmmakers have managed to produce one of the most smartly written and thought-provoking undercover thrillers in recent years. The exact release date hasn't been announced yet, but Fox Searchlight Pictures already stated that it will be "not far behind" »Stoker« which hits threatres on March 1, 2013.

This clever, involving spy drama builds to a terrific level of intrigue before losing some steam in its second half. Still, the appreciable growth in filmmaking confidence here should translate into a fine return on Fox Searchlight's investment, and generate good word-of-mouth buzz among smart thrill-seekers. — Justin Chang, Variety

The East is a terrific companion piece for anyone who enjoyed Sound Of My Voice. It isn't difficult to draw parallels between the two films with recurring motifs like cults, initiation rituals, blindfolds, sign language and more all brimming to the surface. At nearly two hours, the film is just slightly overlong and can be deeply silly at times, but nonetheless thoroughly entertaining. [...] The East is definitely a movie that's going to divide people but it'll be a conversation worth having. [B-] — Cory Everett, The Playlist

Environmental-justice themes are put to smart use in Zal Batmanglij's corporate espionage film [...] The actors bringing this band of anarchists to life project enough wounded, uncertain self-righteousness to distance them from the generic zealots more often seen in this kind of tale, and Marling, working behind a couple of layers of role-playing, keeps audiences guessing about what Sarah actually believes. Batmanglij balances emotional tension with practical danger nicely, a must in a story whose activist protagonists can make no distinction between the personal and the political. — John DeFore, The Hollywood Reporter

Batmanglij’s direction is first-rate. Unlike his aforementioned previous film, The East is a very slick-looking thriller and moves at a very fluid pace (save a bit of second-act dragging). The music is also mesmerizing, most notably a frenetic, haunting piano solo by Kebbell in this, a thoroughly engrossing mash-up of Martha Marcy May Marlene and Serpico. But the film is, first and foremost, a wonderful showcase for Marling’s considerable talents. — Marlow Stern, The Daily Beast

A solid but disappointingly traditional thriller. [...] My main beef with the film is the somewhat facile attitude toward big fat corporations. [...] That said, I offer genuine huzzahs to the film’s conclusion. Without giving away final twists or action beats, this is a movie that proposes a genuine, intelligent solution, both for the main character and for us. It comes at you kinda quickly (and economically, in about three wordless shots), but it hit me like a bag of dumpster-dived apples to the gut. [B+] — Jordan Hoffman, Film.com

The East is a clean-running machine that keeps one engaged. There’s a slickness to the proceedings that can temporarily distract from the script issues, and Batmanglij shows growth as a creator of suspense sequences. But whether it’s the East’s dangerous covert missions or Sarah’s personal transformation from loyal employee to budding anarchist, The East feels more like an idea for a high-concept thriller than a thoughtful, compelling film. — Tim Grierson, Screen Daily

The East is absorbing and exciting for most of its length, with a aesthetic (the photography is by Roman Vasyanov) that believably shifts from the grungy life of The East to the well-heeled environs of their victims and Sarah’s employer. The cast is very fine, with the shifting dynamics between Skarsgard and Marling particularly notable. — Mitch Salem, Showbuzz Daily

The East is an AWESOME thriller! It draws you in with its high stakes situations and the intense moral quandary facing the main character, played by Brit Marling, keeping you on the edge of your seat for almost two hours. The tight script [...] contains a bunch of memorable lines that I have been quoting non-stop since the screening. — Georg, Geekscape

Provocative and sharply crafted to the end, successfully bridging its star and director's indie roots with their multiplex potential, The East maintains its intelligence, but arguably flexes it a little too eagerly. That's a luxurious quibble to have with any comparatively mainstream thriller, or indeed any female-driven entertainment, these days, particularly one ripe with sequel opportunities. — Guy Lodge, HitFix

The East is a Decent Studio Pic with No Indie Spark. [...] There's no doubt that talented filmmakers like Batmanglij and Marling have a bright future in Hollywood. Their world is rich, characters interesting, and writing/acting/directing skills show plenty of promise. Unfortunately, The East just seems to suffer from some growing pains. There are some cool ideas here and it's pretty damned entertaining for a studio action-thriller, however, it's definitely no Sound of My Voice. — Ryland Aldrich, Twitch, Twitch

A refreshing concept, persuasive acting, and effective pacing make Brit Marling's latest, The East, one of the most captivating films of Sundance 2013. — Emily Estep, WeGotThisCovered

If I have any complaint, its that in a quest to keep their missions personal The East encounters a job which turns into a scene I would expect more from a big Hollywood movie than a smart indie. Its nothing too groan-worthy, it just feels a bit out of place compared to the rest of the film. [...] While The East skews more conventional and mainstream than most Sundance films, its rare that we get a tense thriller that provides some deeper interesting topical discussion. [8 out of 10] — Peter Sciretta, /film

The East is the thoughtful spy thriller Hollywood has forgotten how to make [...] A bigger and more conventional film than Sound of My Voice, with genre elements that wouldn't be out of place in a Bourne film, The East is also spectacular, the kind of gripping thriller that precious few mainstream Hollywood directors even attempt these days. Taking the time to dig deep into its characters and constantly blurring the line between right and wrong, The East is provocative and thoughtful-- but also far more entertaining that you'd ever think it had a right to be. — Katey Rich, CinemaBlend

The East tackles a little-covered activist milieu that's rarely treated in films and will likely alienate red-state audiences when Fox Searchlight releases it nationwide this year. But it's also a commercial thriller, where the politics are in service of the action, and the insurgent activism in metropolitan and college areas may help this timely work find a solid limited-release audience. [B] — Logan Hill, Indiewire

Through his skillful direction and thoughtful script, Batmanglij has reminded audiences what the undercover thriller can accomplish if the filmmakers understand that inner-conflict should extend past the protagonist. However, his commitment to playing by the genre’s rules keeps him contained to the conventions, which in turns adds some predictability to moments that were clearly meant to land as a surprise. But The East never sets out to redefine the genre. It simply attempts to carry the undercover thriller to its full potential. Jam accomplished. [B+] — Matt Goldberg, Collider

I really feel like The East has huge crossover potential- way beyond the art-house film crowd. It's the type of thriller that should hit 2000 screens and play to a huge audience. Hopefully people will embrace it- but whatever the case, it can't be denied Batmanglij and Marling have made a big move into the same kind of smart, ambitious, yet broadly entertaining type of film that people like George Clooney and Ben Affleck do so well. [9 out of 10] — Chris Bumbray, JoBlo

Like Sound of my Voice, The East is smooth and calculating in its delivery, but goes a little haywire in the mad dash for an exciting conclusion. Marling and Batmanglij have established a rhythm that may feel a little too familiar, but it's nonetheless smart and evocative. The film was produced by the late Tony Scott, and his name features prominently in the closing credits. I think this is a film he would have been proud to be associated with. [4 out of 5] — Travis Hopson, Examiner

I thought the movie was great, and it was one of the few films I've seen at the festival that got an ovation at the end. I liked the intensity of the story, which was well crafted. The movie is kind of predictable though, I pretty much knew what was around every corner, but it was still executed extremely well, so it didn't really bother me that I knew what was coming. It was one of those things where I was just looking forward to seeing how those scenes would play out. — Joey Paur, GeekTyrant

Once again, Batmanglij and Marling prove to be quite the talented writing duo. After penning Batmanglij’s directorial debut, the intelligent team of two tackle pressing environmental issues (i.e. lucrative companies creating unsafe products for the sake of profit) without devolving into didacticism. Aside from the film’s candid cultural commentary, The East presents a morally and emotionally conflicted protagonist that forces the viewer to contemplate how they’d respond in her sticky situation. [B-] — Sam Fragoso, The Film Stage

In all honesty, I wasn't expecting to like this much at first, but was ecstatic to discover a fantastic thriller that I'm looking forward to revisiting. As only the second film by Zal Batmanglij, it's an impressive step up. [8 out of 10] — Alex Billington, FirstShowing

With no concrete heroes and villains, the tension of the film builds to a final scene that's as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. While lacking some of the nuance that made Sound of My Voice so distinct, Marling and Batmanglij have managed to produce one of the most smartly written undercover thrillers in recent years. The East doesn't redefine the genre, but a strong cast, polished direction, and absorbing story make it an impressive effort nonetheless. — Zeba Blay, Slant Magazine

The East Is Directionless [...] Walking out of it, it’s the film that has disappointed me most completely. The East isn’t just a disappointment, it’s actually pretty bad, and is fatally naive. [...] The East is a poorly written, thoroughly silly environmental movie for people who want to believe that tut-tutting over stories in Mother Jones is the same thing as making a difference. — Devin Faraci, Badass Digest

Marling is wonderful as always, Alexander Skarsgaard is appropriately mysterious as the leader of the group, and Ellen Page turns in her best performance in years. — Michael Dunaway, Paste Magazine

The East is one of those films that feels as if its being released at the perfect time [...] Ellen Page is the other real standout of the above mentioned cast members. Just like most of her previous roles, Page showcases a really strong character with a lot of conviction. [...] I must admit that The East was one of my favorite films that I saw at Sundance 2013. I loved the acting, the story, the pacing, and just the overall message and subject matter that the film addressed. While this may not be a film for everyone, it is definitely a film that addresses some really important things about our society. [9 out of 10] — MovieManMenzel, We Live Film

The East is going to be an easily accessible thriller for mainstream audiences, with all the subtlety and specific insight that made Marling’s indie films such standouts for those who discovered them. [8,5 out of 10] — Fred Topel, CraveOnline

»X-Men: Days of Future Past« features a script by Simon Kinberg and is said to be inspired by Chris Claremont and John Byrne's comic book storyline that ran in "Uncanny X-Men" #141 and 142 back in 1981. »Days of Future Past« introduced the idea of an alternate future for Marvel's mutants that grew out of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants killing senator Robert Kelly, leading to a future where all mutants are hunted by Sentinels. The most exciting fact in this regard is that Ellen's character Kitty Pryde plays one of the most important roles in the storyline and therefore will likely (and hopefully) have plenty of screen time in the film adaption.

For those who aren't familiar with the comic the sequel is based from, here's the synopsis:

"The storyline alternates between present day, in which the X-Men fight Mystique's Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and a future timeline caused by the X-Men's failure to prevent the Brotherhood from assassinating Senator Robert Kelly. In this future universe, Sentinels rule the United States, and mutants live in internment camps. The present-day X-Men are forewarned of the possible future by a future version of their teammate Kitty Pryde, whose mind traveled back in time and possessed her younger self to warn the X-Men. She succeeds in her mission and returns to the future, but despite her success, the future timeline still exists as an alternative timeline rather than as the actual future."

Obviously some details will be changed, but as producer Matthew Vaughn said previously, "It's X-Men meets The Terminator. You've got robots, you've got time travel, you've got superheroes - it's got everything in one film." I'm sure Ellen will enjoy working on an action packed contemporary sci-fi film for a change after doing four low-budget projects in a row. While filming is due to start in April, »X-Men: Days of Future Past« will be released in US theaters through 20th Century Fox on July 18, 2014.